The Light after the Stormy Night
by Explicitly Vague
Summary: It is her turn now. Her love demands to be returned. Fate is ready to correct its mistakes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

Do check out A/N at the end.

* * *

She got dazed and breathless whenever he looked at her. Or at least she did when she wasn't busy accusing him of murdering her brother or cursing him to a painful death. She cringed inwardly whenever she remembered that phase of her sheer stupidity.

He always had this 'larger than life' way about him. The way he looked at her, it was like he could see right through the façade of bravery that she used to put on for the world.

His gaze would always be intense when the she was the focus of it. He would pay full attention to her with his molten brown eyes fixed on her face as if she was the only person who deserved his attention in the world. Right from the start, when he saw her holding Naveen's photograph, he felt like a kindred spirit to her.

He was a true gentleman. There was no doubt about it. Even when they fought, argued, yelled or pushed each other to their limits, she never felt endangered by his presence. In fact, he was the only person who would make her smile or even laugh after a long, tiring day. She felt safe and calm in his company and she could clearly see, very early on, how her brother could have been friends with such a man.

Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat was an institute in himself. He wasn't a flirt like her brother or a romantic like Abhimanyu. He was just… Rajveer. The sort of man who didn't have to command anyone's respect. He always knew how to react appropriately even if he did once say that Naina put him on a pedestal that he didn't deserve.

She regretted all the time that she wasted being angry at him when the hours could have been much more productive, or as her heart said, more enjoyable.

Their last few days together were some of the best days of her life despite all the troubles she had attracted then. His intense brown eyes, his warmth, his charming smile, his closeness, his trust, his _love,_ just for her, was worth it all. Why and how didn't she see this earlier was a question she asked herself a lot.

She got a different reply every time. She had to focus on her brother. She had to worry about getting kicked out of KMA. She had to study. He was much older than her. He deserved so much better in his life than the burden of solving the mystery of her brother. All excuses felt lame to her now.

'It is so unfair.' She wanted to shout these words at the sky all the time. She had been betrayed over and over again.

First, she used to pray endlessly for Naveen's safety when he graduated from academy. God hadn't kept him safe. When she saw his brother's corpse and the injustice her family faced, a piece of her faith died.

Second, she prayed hard to get justice for her brother. God evaded her request for a very, very long time. When she did get her prayers answered, she had lost Rajveer by then. Her faith in Him lessened even more.

This led to the third and final time that she prayed.

 _Point 1857._

Rajveer had taken her there after a lot of groveling and pouting from her. When he told her about the wishing pillar, she lost focus and became selfish for the first time in her life. She could have asked for a quick justice for her brother, or the happiness of her family, or even the happiness of her friends.

However, Rajveer's words rang in her ears again and again. He had said that the couples who came here were bonded for life. She lost it all as she gazed at Rajveer, his folded hands and adorably ruffled hair. She became selfish.

She asked God to give Rajveer to her for eternity. Just one simple wish, what harm could it do?

God failed her yet again.

He was dead and she had to live in this cruel world all on her own.

Or so she thought.

What she didn't know was that Fate always corrected its mistakes sooner or later.

* * *

 **A/N: So I used to LOVE LRL and watched it a million times. I was just dazzled by the characters and how the focus was on the story and the character development rather than a quick romance. When it did go in that direction, I guess I was one of the many people who were yelling at their T.V. screens for Rajveer and Naina to get together.**

 **I recently bingewatched it again and I just had this idea that won't let me sleep. So I wrote it down. I know what you might be thinking after reading this first chapter. What a downer! Well fear not people. I have planned for a long fic that will probably last forever. But I am determined to do it.**

 **I will end this A/N with a small present. Rajveer will be making an entry in the next chapter. I shall not say more. Ciao. xD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the idea.

* * *

 _Teri aankhon ke dariya ka utarna bhi zaroori tha_  
 _Mohabbat bhi zaroori thi, bichadna bhi zaroori tha_  
 _Zuroori tha ke hum dono tawaaf-e-aarzoo karte_  
 _Magar phir aarzu'on ka bikharna bhi zaroori tha_  
 _Teri aankhon ke dariya ka utarna bhi zaroori tha_

* * *

She was back in KMA.

She was told by everyone, in one way or another, to move on.

Pooja had given her a speech about creating new connections, getting on another network or something equally ridiculous. Ali had been very sincere when he told her that her quest was finally over and she should focus on being the best army officer that she could.

Yudi had sat with her one day and said that he understood. He understood what she was going through as a result of falling for a mentor. Naina had just stared at him with blank eyes and replied, "Life is short." He had fallen silent after that.

Huda had tried his age-old flirting with her again and said, "Phoolan, let's get posted on a border together and create havoc there." She had told _him_ to move on.

Alekh had been very straightforward with her. "You are done now, Naina. You have gotten justice for your brother. You have avenged Captain Sir. You are done. It is over."

She had been unable to explain to him that it wasn't supposed to be over like this. She had always dreamt about the end.

She would place her brother's picture back on the Wall of Fame. Her parents would finally be able to sleep at night. She would graduate as the best cadet from academy. _And she would tell Captain Rajveer that she loved him._ Not that he didn't know it already.

But none of it happened the way it was supposed to.

Now she was back in KMA because this was the only place that remotely felt like home to her anymore. She had spent two of the best years of her life here. She had met the most amazing friends in these corridors. She had gotten the privilege of studying under a great faculty, Major Nair excluded of course.

 _And she had met the love of her life here._

She had met Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat right at the entrance of KMA on her very first day. She had spent a few weeks getting impressed and irritated at him at the same time. She had gotten to know him better after that and learned to respect and trust him.

She had become possessive of his time when Dr. Ritu Mishra forced her way into his life. She had gotten insane with jealousy (even if she didn't recognize the emotion back then) when they had gotten engaged.

She had felt enraged when she came to know about Rajveer's betrayal. Her heart was left empty after shooting him at point blank. The thing that made her even more mad afterwards was how hard it was to hate him even when she wanted to kill him.

She thought herself stupid and childish after causing trouble between Rajveer and Abhimanyu. She had felt an intense amount of relief when they all saved Rajveer from dying in a blast. She had nearly fainted from the intensity of his eyes during the concentration game that they had played in the game room. She fell in love with him more and more every day and there was no stopping it.

Point 1857 and his company had been the best thing that she had experienced in her life hands down. There were no words to explain the time that she spent with Rajveer in his last few days. She wanted to share everything with him and spend all her time in his proximity.

They did have a few days of stolen glances, heated stares and a weird sort of bliss with each other. But it had ended with just that. They hadn't gotten a chance to explore their love. Life struck yet again.

She came back to KMA because it was the only place she felt close to Rajveer. She took over him classes and his sleeping quarters. People thought she was wasting her potential, teaching here. But she was the only one who knew the truth. She hadn't come to KMA to become a great army officer, win some battles or get glory in the first place. She had came here to get justice for her brother and she had done that. She had no desire to get involved in anymore bloodbath.

She was at peace here or as much peace a person like her could get who had lost so much.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. An orderly came in and said, "Ma'am, Brigadier Chauhan has requested your presence in the meeting room at 1800 hours."

"I will be there." She replied.

Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan had recently been promoted to a Brigadier and been placed as the principal of KMA. He had been tight-lipped about his last mission despite being the same friendly, sincere person he had always been. He did promise her a present when she went to congratulate himon hiss first day in as principal. He hadn't delivered it to her yet and always gave a mysterious smile whenever she inquired about it. "Patience, Naina, patience. It is a virtue."

"Have you ever known me to be patient, Sir?" She had retorted. He refused to humor her after that.

May be he would finally deliver on his promise today, she grinned at the thought.

* * *

She was in the meeting at 1800 hours sharp and was surprised to see all the familiar faces in there. All the faculty from her time as a cadet in KMA were there. Dr. Major Shalini, Suri ji and Lolita ma'am. The only ones not present were Major Nair, Brigadier Chandok and... _him._ Major Nair was currently enjoying the military jail's hospitality and Brigadier Chandok had retired. She didn't want to think about _him._

Abhimanyu entered the room in a whirlwind. He was always exuberant like that, even though his energy had been dimmed somewhat after the death of his friend.

But today was something different. She felt like she was looking at the old Abhimanyu again. The one she met years ago in the field with all those goons, full of energy and life. He was practically skipping in his shoes, like he wanted to jump up and down in ecstasy.

"Sit down, sit down everyone. The people in this room, we never need to be formal with each other. Settle down." He said.

Everyone sat down and looked around in confusion.

"What is going on, Sir?" Dr. Shalini asked what was on everyone's mind.

"A good news. The best news in the world. You have no idea how happy I am today." Abhimanyu practically twirled around.

Naina chuckled, "We can see that, Sir."

"Naina! Naina, Naina, Naina! You will be getting your present today." He laughed.

 _Present?_ She looked at him with uncertainty. "If it is my present, why will I be sharing it with all these people here?" She smiled mischievously.

"Oh I just... forget it, Naina. So let me tell you about the new member that is joining the KMA faculty today. He will be sharing the Communication and Strategy classes with you, Captain Singh." Abhimanyu told them.

Naina was baffled. She had to _share_ her classes with a stranger? How was this a present?

"The man has personified strategy. He has had to face sabotage all his life and he excelled every single time. He sacrificed everything for this country and refuses to stop even now. He is back after a 3 years stint in the Black Ops division abroad," Abhimanyu took a deep breath. "What can I say? He is an enigma wrapped in a cloak of mystery and-"

"Since when did you become such a silver tongue about your friends, Chauhan Sahab?" A slightly hoarse voice came from the door of the meeting room.

A very familiar voice. Naina felt like the earth was splitting open under her feet. Her head whipped around to look at the newcomer.

She felt the world around spin at the sight of the man standing there. A strange blackness started creeping in her vision.

Abhimanyu got up quickly, "You are early, Major."

"What? Are you going to fire me on my very first day back here, Chauhan?" The man retorted.

Naina couldn't breathe when she heard the words coming from the man who was still leaning against the door. It couldn't be, her mind screamed. She didn't even notice the shocked reactions of the rest of the occupants of the room.

"It's Brigadier to you, bastard. Brigadier. Abhimanyu. Rai. Chauhan." He was smiling as he emphasized on every word.

The man gave a stunning smile as he straightened and entered the room to stand in front of Abhimanyu.

"Major Rajveer Singh Shekhawat! Reporting for duty, _Sir_!" He saluted.

Naina stood up and her chair tumbled backward. The world was spinning at an alarming rate around her. She took a step forward. The man moved his head in her direction. She could see his face even though her vision was blurring with every passing second.

She knew that face. She could pick that face easily from a crowd of hundreds. "Sir..."

He turned towards her fully in confusion and blasted her with his chocolate brown, intense eyes. "I am sorry?"

 _She fainted._

* * *

 **A/N: So this is how it is going to go down. It has been 6 or 7 years since Rajveer's _'death'._ He didn't die. Obviously. I refuse to accept it so I am ignoring all the details of everything that happened after his death. **

**What was so annoying was how they entertained the idea that Rajveer is still alive and then forgot all about it and decided not to give closure to the audience. This was one character that I might have been okay with getting replaced by some other actor. Anyway, you will see in the future chapters how I chose to deal with it all.**

 **I hope the read was worth your time. Do let me know what you think. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

* * *

 _Wo bhi ek daur tha  
Waqt hi aur tha  
Jab wo the ajnabi  
Donon tanha se the  
Par wo kehte kise  
Baat jo dil mai thi_

* * *

"I don't know about her nerves but she is certainly a beauty."

"Raj..."

"What? Since when did you turn into such a serious, grumpy person?"

Naina could hear the voices around her but it all felt like a fuzzy dream. She tried to open her eyes but they refused to obey her commands.

"Raj, a captain, a _good_ friend fainted right in front me. So forgive me if I am not in the mood to be funny."

Naina liked this dream. She could hear Rajveer and Abhimanyu banter like they always used to. She loved watching them interact. Their friendship used to be so evident that she once blurted out in front of Rajveer that she wanted to be a good friend to someone someday, just like he was to Abhimanyu.

"Calm down, Chauhan. Dr. Shalini said that she will be completely fine. In fact she should be waking up any time now."

Someone let out a sigh.

"By the way, why do I feel like she fainted after seeing _me_?" She heard a small chuckle.

"I already told you. You left an unforgettable legacy behind. You are the stuff of legends here, to be honest."

Rajveer wasn't impressed by that answer. "Yes, yes. I changed lives apparently. Enough people have said so already," He sounded weary. "But look at it from my perspective, Chauhan. It is extremely weird to me that I am a hero to someone but I don't even know why."

"Not just _someone._ You trained a whole generation of cadets, Raj. You had a certain way with them," Abhimanyu continued without taking a breath. "They were so lost before coming to KMA. You showed them a better path to walk on for life. It is _not_ a small thing. You were a hero to a lot of people"

"Chauhan sahab, this country has produced a lot of heroes. Every soldier that fights for the integrity of his or her motherland is a hero. I am no different from any of them." Rajveer was his usual humble self. Naina knew that facet of his personality all too well.

"Oh you have no idea, Raj..."

Naina had had enough. She forced her eyes to open because if this was a dream, she had to see his face once before waking up.

Her eyes landed on the ceiling first. She blinked as she saw Abhimanyu, his tall built visible even from her position, lying down on her bed. Then, as if by some magnetic force, they landed on the person sitting on her sofa with his back to her.

She got up quickly and regretted it almost immediately. Her head spun as if stuck in a roller coaster. Her body lurched and her hand hit a vase on the side table, causing it to crash down and alert the other two occupants of the room. The man quickly got up, turned and moved towards her.

She let out a gasp. She couldn't believe it. Captain Rajveer was standing in front of her. It must be a hallucination, she thought dazedly.

Rajveer saw her sway dangerously and rushed forward to catch her before she fell down and banged up her head again. He frowned as he lifted her up in his arms.

She was ridiculously light in his hold. She needed to eat more. The concerning thought flitted through his mind before he could stop it. He was surprised at himself. He always found it easy to connect with people, but never this quickly. He willed his mind to quieten down and focused on the woman in his arms.

He placed her in the bed, or at least he tried. She was clutching his shirt in a very tight grip in her hand. He stared down at it and was confused once again, at the emotions that this act was invoking in him. He moved his gaze towards her face as she opened her eyes slowly. As the chocolate brown swirls focused on his face, he had to hold back a gasp. Suddenly, he wanted to know her intimately, her fears, her achievements, her interests, her heartache. _Everything!_

He shook his head to get rid of the absurd thoughts. He laid her down on the bed and had to sit down as well because of her grip on him.

"Sir..." Naina couldn't bear it. She was losing her mind.

Rajveer tried to calm her down, "At ease, cade... captain."

Naina couldn't hold back her tears. Rajveer looked back to Abhimanyu helplessly. He wasn't liking this constricting feeling in his chest at the sight of the woman crying in front of him. Abhimanyu gave him a shrug in response and went to stand in a corner with his back to the wall and arms folded, as if getting ready for a show.

Rajveer narrowed his eyes. He will deal with the bastard later. He got up and went to the kitchen counter to get a glass of water. Since he had his back to them, he missed the look that passed between his friend and the captain.

Naina looked at Abhimanyu with blurry eyes. He shook his head gently. They knew each other well enough that Naina understood what he meant to say.

Rajveer returned and tried to hand her the glass. She just looked at him with anguish filled eyes. His heart broke out of rhythm again. He looked back at her with uncertainty. It was like having déjà vu. He had seen this look on her face before. In a courtroom, surrounded by friends and foes. A splitting pain bombarded his head and he almost dropped the glass.

Naina saw this and got up quickly. She held his arm and took the glass from him. She pushed him to the bed and made him sit down. He was holding his head in his hands. She sat down on the floor in front of him and said, "Sir? Rajveer sir. Are you okay? Should I call a doctor? I should..."

As she made a move to get up and go to her phone, his hand shot out and gripped hers tight. Her head whipped back towards him. He was still holding using his other hand to his temple. "No need to do that. I am fine."

"But sir..."

He replied wearily, "I am fine, captain." His thumb was now moving along her pulse. She had to force her heartbeat to remain normal. She looked at him. He seemed to be unaware of his hold on her. _Just like old times._

It was getting uncomfortable for Abhimanyu. They always had a way of getting lost in each other unconsciously, like a moth to the flame. He cleared his throat.

It was as if Rajveer broke out of his reverie. He looked around and was surprised to see himself on the bed. His gaze traveled towards his hand and his eyes widened. What on earth was wrong with him?

He got up suddenly, looked at everything but the captain in front of him and strode towards the door. Naina didn't even turn around to look at him leave. Rajveer stopped at the door, took a look at her, still sitting on the floor and forced himself to leave. He would do something completely crazy if he stayed any longer.

Naina stayed where she was for a solid five minutes.

"Naina..." Abhimanyu started but he wasn't ready for the slap that she bestowed on him.

"You. You are going to tell me everything. RIGHT NOW!"

* * *

 **A/N: That was soooo hard to write. May be it was because I was writing this after a long time or whatever. What prompted me to write again were the reviews that I got. I am glad that I am not the only one who is completely in love with these characters.**

 **Also, I was one of those people who hated Abhimanyu too. But I am trying to redeem him here. Let's see how it goes.**

 **I will try to update it sooner than I did this time. Keep on reading and giving me feedback.**

 **Cheers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the idea of the story.**

* * *

 _How do I live? How do I breathe?  
When you're not here, I am suffocating  
I want to feel love run through my blood  
Tell me, is this where I give it all up?  
For you, I've to risk it all  
'Cause the writings on the wall_

* * *

It felt like she was falling from a height and the fall wasn't going to break any time soon. She rubbed her temples hard, trying to make sense of what Abhimanyu had just told her. It was very simple but her mind was too traumatized from seeing her captai... _major_ when he was supposed to be dead for the past 5 years. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh at the explanation in front of her.

So according to Abhimanyu, Rajveer never died in the fire. He had severe injuries, sure. But it was a blow to his head that actually _saved_ him. Apparently, it kept him from waking up and actually dying from the pain before he was found by some random passerby. Where the particular injury helped him, it also gave him amnesia. Surprise, surprise! He was actually unaware of his real identity until a year later when he looked into Lala Gehlot after his arrest. Long story short, he was integrated back into the army but they didn't let him anywhere near his old life because his doctors recommended that it might cause more damage than just amnesia.

He needed time to allow himself to heal so he was sent to various posting stations, both national and international, to bring him back on his feet. Abhimanyu only came to know about it recently and went through hell to get his friend back home. He persuaded, begged, charmed and influenced his way through a lot of loopholes and figured a way out to convince everyone concerned that Rajveer was ready to be brought back to his old life.

The only problem was that he could never be told about his past, the years before his accident to be precise. Things would come to him every now and then but nothing concrete. He knew about Naveen's death, the circumstances behind it and the avenging part too. He just didn't remember the details of those years. He didn't remember _her._

 _How could he not remember her?_

The thought kept on invading her head and she had to stop. She went to bed and didn't come out of her room for the next thirty hours or so. She ignored the knocks on her door, remained stubbornly quiet when Abhimanyu stopped by and pretended to be asleep every time Dr. Shalini came to check up on her. She just needed a little time to mope around and come to terms with everything.

Life was never fair to her so she wasn't surprised at this curve-ball that was thrown at her. She was used to losing things that she desperately wanted to hold on to.

It was time to get back to her life, whatever was left of it after the recent bombshell.

* * *

It was dark when she dragged herself out of bed, grabbed a shawl and went out. Since it was way past curfew time, she didn't encounter anyone as she made her way outside, towards _the_ bell.

She wanted to sit in silence, breathe in the cold, fresh air and cleanse herself from the inside. She took a few deep breaths and settled herself on a bench. She wanted to make a plan and prepare herself for the upcoming days. Tomorrow, she would start taking her classes again. Or not. She remembered that Abhimanyu had said that she would be sharing her classes with a certain someone from now on.

She had to tamper down the hysterical laugh that was bubbling up. She wouldn't even be able to ignore him like she wanted to. He would be there, somewhere around her, every single day and she would be a stranger to him. She leaned her head against the back of the bench and stared at the sky. _THIS IS SO UNFAIR._ She wanted to scream.

She took a few more deep breaths, closed her eyes and let the chilly air breeze over her.

* * *

Rajveer was almost done with his usual 10 miles morning run when he stopped to take a breather. He did a few stretches before relaxing and taking a look around. KMA was always very breathtaking to him, specially in the mornings when the sun was just coming up. He smiled contentedly. He wasn't sure about coming back here. It felt like he was taking two steps back instead of moving forward in the beginning. But it had been less than a week and he already knew that he was in the right place. His _heart_ was in the right place. He frowned as the thought crossed his mind along with an image of a certain captain.

He didn't understand his reactions around her. It was a pull that he was trying hard to ignore. He sighed and turned towards the entrance of KMA. He was almost out of there but a sight stopped him dead in his tracks.

His heart started beating a little faster as he moved slowly towards the bench located near the cowards' bell. Time stopped for him when he went and knelt down in front of her. She was sleeping there with the most contented look on her face and her locks swaying gently with the wind.

He suddenly realized how cold the morning air was. Just how long had she been sleeping here for?

It felt like the most natural thing in the world to pick her up in his arms. He settled her firmly against his chest, didn't even think twice about what he was doing and strode towards the faculty quarters.

* * *

She felt a slight jolt as she was pulled up. It felt like getting in front of a fireplace after a few hours out in the cold. She snuggled closer towards the heat source and let out a sigh. There was that usual nagging in the back of her mind that generally alerted her when things weren't right but it was largely submerged under the overwhelming feeling of content, like coming back home after a long day.

* * *

When he entered the hallway, Rajveer faltered for the first time. It felt like he was rehashing history. For a split second, he could see the images clear as day; _he was carrying her in his arms and walking hurriedly towards the infirmary. She was one stubborn girl who didn't know when to back down and accept help. She will need to learn that if she wanted to survive here in the tough conditions of KMA, he thought. He was yelling Dr. Shalini's name even before he entered her office. This girl had the ability to screw with his emotions. He never made the habit of yelling at his seniors, disagreeing with them yes, but never straight up shouting at them. He wasn't sure what to make of it._

Rajveer gasped as pain shot through his temple. This was also the same moment that he realized what he was doing. He stopped abruptly in the middle of his stride and stared down at the woman in his arms who had situated herself comfortably against him. What the actual _fuck_ was wrong with him? This situation was getting out of control. He sighed. He couldn't exactly go out and put her back where he found her. He didn't know her at all and she was messing with his head.

Shaking his head, he moved towards her room. This was the second time in a week that he was carrying her without her knowledge and he didn't know why his heart was thumping rather loudly in his chest. As he entered, he noticed that she hadn't locked it before leaving, whenever that happened. She needed to take better care of herself and her belongings. He pushed the random thoughts aside when he laid her down in her bed.

How weird was it, though? She was a soldier so he expected her to have sharper instincts, yet she had slept through the last few minutes as if it was the most normal thing ever. His hand was moving to push her flicks back before he even realized it. He pulled back hurriedly or at least he tried. She had his shirt in a tight grip in her right hand and as she pulled it forward to place it under her head, he was hauled close towards her, almost too close.

He lost control of his thoughts for a second and stared at her without abandon. She had her head resting close to his heart and seemed content to never let go. She was truly a _gorgeous_ woman. He was startled at his observation. He had jokingly made a remark about her beauty to Abhimanyu but he realized his error now. This woman was dangerous for his health.

He gently pulled her hand away from his shirt. She resisted for a second but settled down soon. He got up and pulled the quilt over her sleeping figure. Afterward, he backed out of there and had to put in effort to tear his gaze away from her.

" _You don't want your court martial done, do you, Major Rajveer Singh Shekhawat?"_ He thought as he left her room.

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry that it took so long to throw this chapter out. I had exams, a wedding to attend and then both my mom and I fell sick.**

 **Explaining a few other things, so I promoted almost every character in this story since I am basing it like 4 to 5 years after Rajveer's accident and my brain wouldn't allow me to write it without showing progress in everyone's life in one way or another. Also, worry not my friends, I will not be abandoning this story any time soon. So keep on reading and leaving me feedback. Happy reading. Ciao! :)**


End file.
